Post by Administrator on Mar 28, 2010 15:58:49 GMT 8
Can expresses Opportunity, Ability or Permission in the present time:
1) If I study hard, I can pass that exam. = If I study hard (right now), I have a chance to pass that exam.
2) Can you speak Russian? = Do you have the ability to speak Russian? (right now)
3) Go ahead, you can take my turn. = Go ahead, you have my permission to take my turn (in this very moment I'm giving you my permission).
As you can see, in sentences 2 and 3, the ability or permission is for real in the present time, which means you can do the actions in this moment. In sentence 1, the possibility is for a close future, but it depends directly on what you do right now (if you study now). You use can when the opportunity, ability or permission is in the present, or depends on something you do right now.
Could expresses an Opportunity, Ability or Permission for a possible future:
A) If I studied hard (in the case I decided to do it), I could pass this exam.
B) Could you speak Russian? (if... you were a Russian)
C) If I wasn't here for my turn, you could go ahead and take it. (you would have my permission to do it if I wasn't present, but right now it's not the case, so you don't have the permission right now, it's only a possibility)
In these sentences (A, B and C), the opportunity, ability or permission is for real only in a possible future that depends on things that are not a fact right now. You use could when you talk about a possible future.
Now let's analyze the auxiliaries will and would:
You use will when you talk about something for sure in the future.
example: Will you travel to New York with me? = Are you (really) going to travel to New York with me? (do you have already the plan to do it?)
You use would for a possible future (similarly to could, it depends on something else).
example: Would you travel to New York with me? = (If I needed your company, if you were able to do it and if you wanted to do it) Is there a possibility that you will travel to New York with me? (can you do it for me?, I´m asking you)
1) If I study hard, I can pass that exam. = If I study hard (right now), I have a chance to pass that exam.
2) Can you speak Russian? = Do you have the ability to speak Russian? (right now)
3) Go ahead, you can take my turn. = Go ahead, you have my permission to take my turn (in this very moment I'm giving you my permission).
As you can see, in sentences 2 and 3, the ability or permission is for real in the present time, which means you can do the actions in this moment. In sentence 1, the possibility is for a close future, but it depends directly on what you do right now (if you study now). You use can when the opportunity, ability or permission is in the present, or depends on something you do right now.
Could expresses an Opportunity, Ability or Permission for a possible future:
A) If I studied hard (in the case I decided to do it), I could pass this exam.
B) Could you speak Russian? (if... you were a Russian)
C) If I wasn't here for my turn, you could go ahead and take it. (you would have my permission to do it if I wasn't present, but right now it's not the case, so you don't have the permission right now, it's only a possibility)
In these sentences (A, B and C), the opportunity, ability or permission is for real only in a possible future that depends on things that are not a fact right now. You use could when you talk about a possible future.
Now let's analyze the auxiliaries will and would:
You use will when you talk about something for sure in the future.
example: Will you travel to New York with me? = Are you (really) going to travel to New York with me? (do you have already the plan to do it?)
You use would for a possible future (similarly to could, it depends on something else).
example: Would you travel to New York with me? = (If I needed your company, if you were able to do it and if you wanted to do it) Is there a possibility that you will travel to New York with me? (can you do it for me?, I´m asking you)